Amelia just got up to wish me Merry Christmas and ask if Santa came! It is too early, still very dark and we don't want to wake everyone else yet. But she pointed out to me that we can hear an owl not far away--the Christmas owl?

Yesterday was a lot of cooking and otherwise getting ready. Ray had to run out and get something he forgot (for me, I think), so I had him buy some more butter and other groceries as well. Amelia and my Mom continued to add a few things to the tree occasionally. the Captain cut up the vegetables for soup. We  also did a couple loads of laundry. It was quite cold, but sunny, so nice in teh house. I made another loaf of bread in the toaster oven. And the frosting for the cake, which Amelia frosted beautifully.

We tidied up a little and tried to decide how long it would take Molli and Adrian to go through customs and immigration. They were due at 2:15, but we thought it would take at least 45 minutes to get to the terminal, and maybe more. On our way to Atlanta, we got an email from Molli (apparently she had free wi-fi on the flight)--expecting to land 25 minutes early! All went well, except for a rather long backup at the airport itself, so that Molli called to say, "we beat you." They had landed, breezed through everything and gotten their luggage before we could actually get to where they were waiting. We zipped back to Athens and rushed through our program, having a quick introduction to the chickens and gardens, before a brief drink and snack. Dinner was served about 5:30 and we left the house just a tad late, about 6:15, for a 6:30 service at UUFA, singing carols and lighting candles with friends. Rev. Allison strikes the right note for me, sincere and straightforward, hopeful and concerned.

We skipped the Bible reading and carol singing at the house, since we had just done it. But we did have the reading of Nellie's Christmas Eve by the Captain, with a slight amount of choking up. And we hung seven stockings on our mantel. Kevin came by for a bit. My Dad was first to bed, about 9 maybe. My Mom had a few things to wrap. I put clementines in all the stockings, followed by some mixed nuts and some candy I had. Fortunately, Polly sent a lot of good stocking stuffers and I had some things, too. But I don't seem to have gotten the toiletries that we sometimes add--toothpaste, for instance. And I lacked the energy to wrap everything I put in the stockings. I still had lots of presents to wrap, somehow. Molli and Adrian were exhausted, having slept about 3 hours on the bus only. He was next to bed, then Ray. Molli couldn't tear herself away, but she finally did. I went to bed about 10:30--saw a little choral singing to set the mood. Amelia was still at it.

Slept pretty well, waking up for a bit about 3:30, but finally going back to sleep until 5:30. Another hour would have been good. The cold is still with me, stuffy, dry mouth, a little achy, but not much coughing. Yay!

Thinking of relatives and friends this morning and being glad.